San Lazzaro degli Armeni

San Lazzaro degli Armeni is a small island in the Venetian lagoon that has been home to the Armenian Catholic Mekhitarist monastery since the early 18th century. The monastery and its library form a significant repository of Armenian manuscripts, printed books and scholarship in exile.

The island is best known for the Mekhitarist community’s library and museum, which preserve an extensive collection of Armenian-language manuscripts, early printed works and archival material used for research and publication. The monastic complex includes cloisters, a church and exhibition rooms and has for centuries served as a centre for Armenian culture and education in Europe.

The Mekhitarist congregation acquired the island in 1717 and developed it into a monastic and scholarly establishment that attracted visitors, scholars and diplomats; the island remains an active religious community and a destination for cultural visits. Public access is available on organised visits and via regular vaporetto connections from Venice.

Located on a small island in the lagoon immediately east of the main Venetian islands, the monastery is reached by water and sits a short boat trip from central Venice’s north waterfront.

• Founding: Purchased by the Mekhitarist congregation in 1717 and developed as a major Armenian cultural, scholarly and religious centre outside Armenia.

What to See #

• Monastery: Mekhitarist monastery - the working monastic complex established on the island by the Mekhitarist congregation after their purchase of the island in 1717, containing cloisters, cells and communal spaces.
• Library and museum: Library and museum - a repository holding an extensive collection of Armenian manuscripts, early printed books and archival material assembled by the monastic community over centuries.
• Church: Church of San Lazzaro - the island church used for liturgy and preserving Armenian ecclesiastical art and inscriptions.